SECONDARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENT STUDY. FINAL REPORT

THIS SECONDARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENT STUDY GROUP (SSMCIS), COMPOSED OF BOTH AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN EDUCATORS, WAS GUIDED BY TWO MAIN OBJECTIVES--(1) TO CONSTRUCT AND EVALUATE A UNIFIED SECONDARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS PROGRAM FOR GRADES 7-12 THAT WOULD TAKE THE CAPABLE STUDENT WELL INTO CURRENT COLLEGE MATHEMATICS, AND (2) DETERMINE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR TEACHERS OF SUCH A PROGRAM. AIMS AND PROCEDURES WERE ESTABLISHED, AND A FLOW CHART OF SCOPE AND SEQUENCE WAS USED AS A GUIDE FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE COURSE I (SEVENTH GRADE) SYLLABUS. A TEAM OF EIGHT MATHEMATICIANS WROTE THE TEXTBOOK FOR COURSE I. TEACHER GUIDES WERE WRITTEN AND DISTRIBUTED FOR USE IN PILOT CLASSES. NINE METROPOLITAN NEW YORK AREA JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN THE EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM NAMED TWO TEACHERS EACH TO BE GIVEN 100 HOURS OF SPECIAL TRAINING, 50 HOURS IN FUNDAMENTAL MATHEMATICS, AND 50 HOURS IN MODERN METHODS OF TEACHING. THE COURSE WAS THEN TAUGHT BY EACH TEAM OF TEACHERS. EVALUATION WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN THREE WAYS--(1) BY DIRECT OBSERVATION THROUGH CLASSROOM VISITATION BY THE PROJECT DIRECTOR AND STAFF MEMBERS, (2) THROUGH DISCUSSIONS WITH COURSE TEACHERS AND PROJECT PERSONNEL DURING FOUR FULL DAY CONFERENCES, AND (3) BY TESTING, USING THE SEQUENTIAL TEST OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS, AND THREE DIFFERENT SSMCIS TESTS. RESULTS OF THE PILOT CLASSES INDICATED THAT THE NEW COURSE, BASED ON FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND STRUCTURES, WAS STIMULATING TO TEACHERS, CHALLENGING AND INTERESTING TO THE STUDENTS, AND GAVE PROMISE AS A FEASIBLE ONE YEAR COURSE FOR THE SEVENTH GRADE. (DH)